Grain exports increased by 3.5 times
During the three-month period, chemical products and fertilizers volumes rose 12%, while shipments of polypropylene increased by almost fourfold, grain – by 3.5 times, and paper – by 2 times, said Ilya Volynsky, the regional Minister of Industry, Trade and Energy.
Imports and exports volume handled at Astrakhan region's ports in the first quarter increased year-on-year by two-fold to 225.2 and 1.2 million tonnes, respectively. Coastal cargo traffic amounted to 26 000 tonnes (+32%).
“The Trans-Caspian section of the North-South ITC is becoming increasingly in demand. The formation of new cargo flows is confirmed by the increased demand for the supply of goods through our region’s cargo terminals,” the official added.
Olya seaport is located 100 km south of Astrakhan in the delta of the Volga River on the 67th km stretch of Volga-Capsian Shipping Canal (VCSNC). The multipurpose port specialises in handling general, container and RoRo cargo and occupies a key position at the intersection of the promising transport flows connecting Russia with Iran, the countries of the Middle East and India, and the transport corridor providing access to Kazakhstan, China, and the countries of Central Asia. The port's cargo throughput capacity is 4.5 million tonnes of cargo per year.
The Port of Astrakhan is located at the mouth of the Volga River with its territory encompassing from the 3,029th km of the Volga River to 3,064th km of the river and further along the VCSNC. Its harbour is adjacent to Olya Port water basin in a straight line. The Port of Astrakhan authority manages 14 terminals. The seaport’s annual capacity is about 12 million tonnes.